Spiderweb Cupcakes with Cream Filling (with Video)
A spooky and fun Halloween cupcake recipe, these Spiderweb Cupcakes have a surprise cream filling and taste just like a Hostess cupcake!
Spider Cupcakes Recipe
Ever since I stumbled on this Spiderweb design making my Spiderweb martinis last year, I’ve been itching to use the technique in a dessert!
It can be frustrating using a design like this on a bigger dessert – like a whole cake or pie – because if you mess up, the entire thing is ruined. (Or you have to painstakingly scrape off all the frosting and do it again.. no thank you!) When making this recipe, if you mess up one cupcake, you still have 11 others to perfect – and you can simply scrape off the frosting on that single cupcake and try again.
Not only are these cupcakes super cute (er, I mean spooooky), they taste amazing! A super chocolatey and dense cupcake with a surprise marshmallow creme centre, topped with a bittersweet chocoalte ganache and white frosting webs!
They taste like a homemade Hostess cupcake – only even better than what you remember from when you were a kid!
Watch our quick recipe video for how to make Chocolate Spiderweb Cupcakes with a Cream Filling, and then don’t forget to scroll down below to grab your free printable recipe:
Ingredients for Spiderweb Cupcakes
This recipe is adapted from the Brown Eyed Baker.
- Chocolate, chopped
- Cocoa Powder <– I prefer to use a dark cocoa powder for this recipe
- Brewed Coffee, still hot*
- All-purpose Flour
- White Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Vegetable Oil
- Eggs
- White Vinegar
- Vanilla Extract
*tip: for kids, you can just use hot water if concerned
For the Filling:
- Marshmallow Creme (like Fluff)
- Butter, room temperature
- Powdered Icing Sugar
For the Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
- Bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- Heavy whipping cream (35%)
For the White Spiderweb Icing:
- Powdered Icing Sugar
- Butter, room temperature
- Milk <– can use cream
- Vanilla Extract
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: if you have bread flour, use that for the cupcakes for a sturdier cupcake that can really hold up the filling. The coffee enhances the chocolatey taste and there isn’t enough to give kids a caffeine buzz, but substitute hot water if concerned.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Medium-sized mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
- Muffin pan
- Piping bag <– a basic piping set will have all you need
- Offset spatula
- Small saucepan
- Cooling racks <– I have and love these tiered cooling racks, they save so much counter space and are also oven-safe
How to Make Spiderweb Cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tray with 12 liners.
In a medium bowl, add the 3oz chocolate, cocoa and coffee. Let the hot coffee melt the chocolate for a couple minutes, and then whisk until smooth.
Place the melted coffee-chocolate mixture in the fridge to cool, about 15-20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Remove the cooled coffee-chocolate mixture from the fridge and whisk in the oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla extract, until smooth.
Add half of the flour mixture to the coffee-chocolate mixture, whisk until smooth, and then repeat.
Divide the batter among your 12 muffin cups (about 1/4 cup of batter per tin).
Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the cupcakes are slightly firm to touch, about 15-20 minutes.
Let the cupcakes cool fully before moving onto the filling and frosting.
For the filling:
Use an electric mixer to beat the Fluff and butter together until soft and light, about 2 minutes. Slowly incorporate the powdered icing sugar, and then beat for an additional 2 minutes to lighten the mixture even more.
Transfer the filling to a piping bag. You can use a rounded tip or just cut a large hole at the tip. Refrigerate as you prepare the ganache.
For the ganache:
In a small, heat-proof bowl, place the 2 1/2oz chocolate.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until just slightly simmering, about 3-4 minutes.
Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, let melt for 2 minutes, and then whisk until smooth. Allow to thicken for 5-10 minutes.
For the white spiderweb icing:
Beat together the powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla until combined and smooth, and transfer into a piping bag. You can either use a small tip, or make a small snip. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Using a large piping tip, 1″ cookie cutter or a cupcake corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, about 2/3 of the way down (as shown).
Using the filling piping bag, fill the holes and scrape off any excess that pours over the top. Repeat with all cupcakes.
(You can replace a bit of the cored cupcake back onto the center, but that is optional.)
Dip each filled cupcake into the ganache, ensuring to cover the entire top. Allow any excess to drip back into the pan and then place on a cooling rack to set.
Let the ganache set for just a couple minutes (no more than five) and then use the white icing to draw circles on the cupcake, like a bullseye shape (as shown).
When you have finished your last ring, take a toothpick and draw it from the center of the cupcake outwards, dragging the white icing slightly to create a peaked effect. Repeat 4-7 times on each cupcake to create a spiderweb effect.
Repeat on all cupcakes.
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Spiderweb Cupcakes with Cream Filling
These Spooky Spiderweb Cupcakes with a surprise marshmallow creme filling are the perfect easy Halloween dessert for a Halloween party or classroom treat
Ingredients
- 3 ounces chocolate, chopped
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup brewed coffee, still hot
- ¾ cup flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- 1 cup marshmallow creme (like Fluff)
- ¼ cup butter, room temperature
- ½ cup powdered icing sugar
For the Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
- 2½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¼ cup heavy cream
For the White Spiderweb Icing:
- 1 cup powdered icing sugar
- ¼ cup butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tray with 12 liners.
- In a medium bowl, add the 3oz chocolate, cocoa and coffee. Let the hot coffee melt the chocolate for a couple minutes, and then whisk until smooth.
- Place the melted coffee-chocolate mixture in the fridge to cool, about 15-20 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Remove the cooled coffee-chocolate mixture from the fridge and whisk in the oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla extract, until smooth.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the coffee-chocolate mixture, whisk until smooth, and then repeat.
- Divide the batter among your 12 muffin cups (about 1/4 cup of batter per tin).
- Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the cupcakes are slightly firm to touch, about 15-20 minutes.
- Let the cupcakes cool fully before moving onto the filling and frosting.
For the filling:
- Use an electric mixer to beat the Fluff and butter together until soft and light, about 2 minutes. Slowly incorporate the powdered icing sugar, and then beat for an additional 2 minutes to lighten the mixture even more.
- Transfer the filling to a piping bag. You can use a rounded tip or just cut a large hole at the tip. Refrigerate as you prepare the ganache.
For the ganache:
- In a small, heat-proof bowl, place the 2 1/2oz chocolate.
- In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until just slightly simmering, about 3-4 minutes.
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, let melt for 2 minutes, and then whisk until smooth. Allow to thicken for 5-10 minutes.
For the white spiderweb icing:
- Beat together the powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla until combined and smooth, and transfer into a piping bag. You can either use a small tip, or make a small snip. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Using a large piping tip, 1" cookie cutter or a cupcake corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, about 2/3 of the way down (as shown).
- Using the filling piping bag, fill the holes and scrape off any excess that pours over the top. Repeat with all cupcakes.
- (You can replace a bit of the cored cupcake back onto the center, but that is optional.)
- Dip each filled cupcake into the ganache, ensuring to cover the entire top. Allow any excess to drip back into the pan and then place on a cooling rack to set.
- Let the ganache set for just a couple minutes (no more than five) and then use the white icing to draw circles on the cupcake, like a bullseye shape (as shown).
- When you have finished your last ring, take a toothpick and draw it from the center of the cupcake outwards, dragging the white icing slightly to create a peaked effect. Repeat 4-7 times on each cupcake to create a spiderweb effect.
- Repeat on all cupcakes.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 262Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 153mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 3g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
These fun Spiderweb cupcakes are even better than the Hostess original and would make a great addition to your Halloween parties – or a fun classroom treat!
For more delicious Halloween desserts, check out our Magical Pumpkin Cake or Nightmare Before Christmas Sugar Cookies.
Check out our other Delicious Cupcake Recipes:
What a creative way to celebrate Halloween. I think my kid will love this idea! Great recipe! Thank you!
Wow! Not only do these look ghoulishly delish, they are also absolutely gorgeous!
Super cute cupcakes! Really lovely for Halloween for both kids and adults.